Hydraulic main rotor blade dampers, as are used on helicopters for example, typically do not employ conventional filters to remove contaminants from hydraulic fluid housed therein due to among other things the undesirable weight that would necessarily be added. Consequently, wear causes contamination that subsequently acts as an abrasive that can contribute to premature failure of seals and dynamic sliding surfaces within the device. Since repairing and replacing these components is costly the art would be receptive to methods and devices that lengthen the operational life of these components.